Which two for World Team

We have seen all their programs. Which two are you guys liking for our World Team. Will it be Flatt, Zhang, Mirai, Czisny, Hacker, Kimmie, Bebe or Wagner. Those are the girls that I think have the best chance of making it to Worlds.

Let face it this is serious business. We can't afford a splat fest.

I am going with Zhang/Flatt or Wagner. I think it will be two out of those three. Flatt has proven to be consistent with her jumps. Wagner & Zhang have some jump issues but landed most of their jumps this season. I think Mirai is just lost this season. She had too much stuff to deal with. As much as I love Czisny her track record for landing jumps under pressure is to risky. Lets discuss

i thought the isu picked the teams out based on total points according to world standings, not who the federations want. in other words who is for example now #8 and #10 with the us., who is #1 and other highest number for italy and so on.
i may be wrong.

Definitely Rachel. No matter where she places at Nationals ( I see her as our new U.S. champ) send her. As for the other spot whether it is Ashley, Caroline or Alissa or whomever I still don't think the U.S. will earn three spots for 2010, the international ladies field is very, very talented right know. Besides we could not even get one U.S. lady into the GPF that should tell us something.

Definitely Rachel. No matter where she places at Nationals ( I see her as our new U.S. champ) send her. As for the other spot whether it is Ashley, Caroline or Alissa or whomever I still don't think the U.S. will earn three spots for 2010, the international ladies field is very, very talented right know. Besides we could not even get one U.S. lady into the GPF that should tell us something.

Agree here, definitely Rachael, then I'd say Wagner or Zhang. As to the GPF, with the way they skated, it was unlikely we'd have more than one woman in the final, but we did our ladies a big disservice sending them all in a pack to Skate America, guaranteeing that they couldn't all make it. I believe Rachael might have made it to the final with a different draw.

I wish our federation would be smarter in their actions and choices. Strategizing is part of the game, and other feds do it so much better -- from picking better events for their skaters to lobbying for rule changes that reward their skaters' strengths.

All these things are important if you are looking at a team's chances.

Who I think will go?
Caroline - I think she's held it all together pretty well.

and Rachel has been very strong.

Who I'd like to make it?
Ashley - seems to be strong mentally and on track with her training

or Caroline (see above)

and Alissa - imo, she has the most presence on the ice; is the most mature and polished and fluid in all the other elements. I'm hoping she can hold her jumps together and come into her own this season. Of all of them, she's my favorite to watch. I was so happy for her bronze at Skate Canada.

Flatt and then either Wagner or Zhang. I just don't see Nagasu going this year (not to count her out entirely because I think she's a lovely skater, but with her struggles right now I don't think it'll be her).

I'd be worried if the US sent Kimmie or Alissa. I love both of their skating but they worry me. Alissa is actually my favorite of them all but her jumps...make me nervous.

i thought according the isu communciation 1490 . the federations (which ever top 6 countries they are ) would follow some of the guidelines like using the top 2 performers of each country according to the world standings, not who they would like, for example japan right now would be mao and yukarai, caroline and rachel right now for the us. however the standings are after the season is over with that includes worlds , euros, four continents and gp finals.

From experience, I think the title should be edited to read "which two for US World Team" since GS seems to be growing more into a worldwide audience.

Anyway, as I mentioned in the Russia thread (I think it was that one), Rachel Flatt should definitely be one of the two. She's shown the most consistent results thus far of any American. I think she's a strong candidate for top 10. As for the second skater, this is tougher...a risk has to be taken on somebody. I'm thinking Wagner or Zhang right now. I would have thrown Nagasu in the mix but after NHK I want to see how she handles the pressure of defending her National Championship in January first.

As for the rest, too risky...results too inconsistent or their jumps too unreliable.

As much as I love Czisny her track record for landing jumps under pressure is [too] risky.

Right now, and I'd like to stress right now, I'd actually be more comfortable sending Czisny than sending Meissner. Even with mistakes, Alyssa is still scoring higher than Meissner, and that's a strong enough case right there imo.

Well frankly I am not much closer to naming the world team now than I was 3 months ago.

Ashley looks pretty strong and Mirai looks rather poor, but that could easily change.
I will say that Kimmie nor Mirai will make the team... but i won't say who will. I am not saying that Mirai is a hopeless case....she just needs more time.

i thought according the isu communciation 1490 . the federations (which ever top 6 countries they are ) would follow some of the guidelines like using the top 2 performers of each country according to the world standings,...

I think the original poster is asking about which ladies the United States will send to the Worlds Championships.

About the World Team Challenge, i think you are right. Each country that is selected will be expected to send their top-ranked skaters according to the ISU criteria. It will be interesting to see what might happen if some of the top skaters decide not to participate (probably we will see some last-minute "injuries." ).

I think that the World Team will comprise of 2 of the following ladies: Flatt, Wagner, or Czisny. This is just based on the season so far. Nationals could potentially change things. I guess I won't count out Zhang either but I am weary of her jump issues and lack of speed. People seem very nervous about Alissa, but her LP with a few falls at Cup of Russia was not that far behind Zhang's relatively clean LP(3/3 was downgraded) at TEB score wise. Caroline just doesn't seem to have the potential to score very high yet. I hope that changes in the future.

I'm forgetting my skating trivia - when was the last time the US 'only' had two spots for the ladies? It seems like such huge pressure this year, because whoever goes will face the pressure of needing to keep it AT LEAST two spots and hopefully gain that third for the Olympic season. I know, in the end, they go out to compete there best - but I can't help but feel for whoever goes with what I imagine is the added pressure.

I can't imagine who it will be either - I agree with others that Flatt looks like a medal winner at US nationals, and I wouldn't count Wagner out for a medal either; for me, Caroline and Mirai and Kimmie and Alyssa all raise questions marks right now, yet, I do think any of them could podium. The order, and thus the world team, is totally beyond my imagination at this moment - but I look forward to seeing how it all plays out!

My votes go for Caroline and Mirai. Both of them are coming off of a difficult summer. Caroline seems to have had a growth spurt and Mirai had an ankle injury that kept her off the ice for a while. I may be in the minority, but I am encouraged at how well these girls got their act together after such disruptions. With 2 months of serious training, I think these girls will be ready.